Pipe-closure.



J. D. BLAKE.

Y PIPE GLOSURE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED rma. 2 1. 190s.

, 921,069. Patented May 11,1909.

shown at 22`in Fig. 1. This acts as a ack-l .mon angular head, ispreferably made of brass. This is an advantage in that the cross-bar 1spreferably made of cast iron, thus tending to prevent corroding or thepossibilityof the bolt sticking in the `cross bar to the extent that itis liable to break the parts when it is unscrewed. I nd that thesecovers are especially valuable to cover openings `of soil pipes incement basements or. stand pipes through sidewalks. `where the pipesproper are practically all concealed or embedded in -the cement with buta small riser or small piece of pipe coming up through the cement. Inthe devices ordinarily used prior to this, the bolt or screw that holdsthe lid in place often becomes badly corroded, making it practicallyimpossible to remove these covers forI the purpose of cleaning the soilpipes, or getting at. the parts without breaking some or all of theparts.

The applicant has had wide experience as a practical plumber, and hasfound that in attempting to get at devices of this character now in use,the lids were removed with `great diiiiculty, and were easily broken.The ordinarv plumbernot being provided with parts to repair the breaks,the lids were often left off or stuffed with rags or some filling. In atleast fifty per cents. of the cases in which repairs have been made byme, I have found the openings closed. with old rags or waste, thusabsolutely destroying the sanitary condition of .the plumbing in thehouse. Also when the old pipe covers have been used as closures on leaddrum traps under bath tubs, the removing of the cap often tears the leaddrums, and while no serious defect is visible to the eye, a leakage,however, is produced which permits the sewer gas to enter the room. Allof these objections are obviated by the use of my simple and compactdevice comprising at thc most but four movable parts-the cover, the arm,the bolt and the washer. The washer, of course, may be made an integralparl of the boh, thus reducing the number of removable parts to three.

I am aware that other devices have been' ing arm to drop within the pipeeither when removing the cover or putting it in place, regardless of thenumber of times the bolt is turned. Of course, a careless workman, inplacing the locking bar within the slot. could drop it Within the pipeby failing to insert it horizontally. This, however, may be absolutelyguarded against if the arm he screwed on the end of the bolt beforeplacing the cover in'place. Then this method is used, the arm is givenseveral turns on the bolt, and then the cover is put in place, thelocking arm sliding downwardly within the vertical slots until it restsagainst the bot- `only necessary to giveV it a slight turn in theopposite direction when the ends of the locking arm come within the1vertical slots, and the cover can be raised. It will thus be seen thatno amount of screwing or misuse of the cap can cause any parts of it tobecome disarranged or dropped within the pipe. This is one ofltheimportant objects of my invention, as heretofore it has been a verycommon occurrence that locking arms and portions of the device fallwithin the pipe, causing much annoyance in recovering them, and in manycases their recovery has been impossible.

The construction of my device is of the .simplest character, and thereare no parts subject to great strain, rendering them liable to breakage,nor are there any delicate parts requiring nice adjustment or liable todisarrangement.

The'head 16 may be made in any desired form or shape, in order toaccommodate a particular wrench or key, thus avoiding mischievoustampering with the device.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character set forth, a casing provided withoppositely disposed vertical slots and a circumferential locking slotextending laterally from the lower end of each, a cover, a locking barwhose ends are adapted to engage the said vertical and circumferentialslots, and a headed screw having a threaded lower end adapted to engage.a threaded recess in the locking bar to secure the cover in position,said screw being independently removable from the cover and the bar whenthe cover is in a closed position, whereby the screw, cover and lockingbar may be removed separately.

Q. In a device of the character set forth. a casing provided withoppositely disposed vvertical slots and circumferential locking ventialslots and have a vertical movement at all points therein, and a headedscrew l| Signed by me at Rock Island, Ill., this 4th mounted removably`in and det-achably eni day of Feby. 1908.

@aging the locking bar to secure the cover v n position, saidscrew-being independently JOHN D' BLAKE' removable when the cover is ina closed po- Witnesses:

sition, whereby the cover and'lockng barl A. B.,FREN1ER,

" can be removed separately. l G. W. KONE.

